MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

4/17 Wood to get cortisone shot

Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood returned to Chicago on Tuesday to get a cortisone shot in his right shoulder but he should be available on Friday when the team opens a homestand against the Reds. Wood felt some discomfort on Tuesday during an early workout at Marlins Park prior to the start of the Cubs three-game series against the Marlins. He’s pitched in four games so far, most recently Friday in St. Louis. The problem with his shoulder flared up after that outing.

“We’re trying to get him right,” GM Jed Hoyer said. “We’re 10 games into a 162 game season and we’re trying to be smart about it. Hopefully he’ll be back with us soon.”

The Cubs are hoping Wood feels better after the cortisone shot and doesn’t need time on the disabled list.

The Cubs limited Wood’s appearances this spring, and apparently the shoulder was a problem at that time, too.

“It wasn’t so much that he was hurt [in Spring Training],” Hoyer said. “It didn’t feel right so we tried to back off a little and let him get some strength. It hasn’t worked so far.”

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